Rising From the Ashes
by Imaginary Cookie
Summary: Lynnette was a girl from District 7. She was a spy for the Rebels. She's a hero. And she hates it. She hates the fact that her family is dead because of her, because of the Rebels, because of Snow, because of the Girl on Fire. Gale is dealing with pain. He never meant to kill her, and not only was she gone, but so was Katniss. I know, summary sucks. But read it!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Just me again! Yay! Okay so here ya go. :)**

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Chapter One

I sat in my office staring out the window. It was the only window in the room. I had a crummy office. It stood in the remains of what used to be the Justice Building. The walls were a shade lighter than army green, appearing to be the color of puke, the floor was made of dark wood that probably looked great when it was first built, but age had started to wear them away, creating holes in some areas, and the desk that I sat at and the chair that I sat in were the only furniture in the room. They were made of cold metal, sturdy, but cold. They were shipped from District Thirteen a few days after the war had ended. But it didn't matter what the room looked like, as long as I got my work done.

Not that I actually did any work. I stared out the window most of the time, gazing at what used to be the Forest. I still remember going out there after school everyday to gather the lumber that the men had cut earlier in the day. The Forest used to be beautiful. Pine trees jutted out to meet the skies and songbirds danced and sang along with us. Now all that remained was a mess of charred stumps and branches. Ashes danced in the wind, making the sky gray. Nothing was left there.

I quickly looked away from the window as I felt tears coming. I stared down at my desk, at the documents I was supposed to be reading, then signing. I flipped through the pages, skimming through it, not that I needed to. I had received the packet a month ago, but I wasn't ready to sign it. After all, why would I want them to tear down what was left of my Forest just to build up new homes. People didn't have to live here, I'm sure no one really wanted to. The place looks worse than Twelve. All that remains here is this crummy old building that's going to fall apart soon anyways.

I buried my face in my hands. What was I supposed to do. What would Avan do? He would probably burn down the Capitol, just like it burned down Seven. But there's no point in that anymore. The monsters are dead now. At least the ones we know of. Maybe I should just burn down what's left of the ruins and hitchhike to Twelve. At least they still have a forest. Not that they need it. Well, except maybe Katniss Everdeen. The Girl on Fire. I laugh out loud. What would she think of my district? Just another place that her fire has burned to ashes. The echo of my laughter bounces off the walls back to me. I stop laughing and listen to the echo. I sound insane, demented. I decide to go back to looking out the window.

The songbirds have not returned yet. But they aren't to blame for that, who would want to live in a place where there is nothing left for you? Nobody. That is, except for me. And Mel. But she's an exception. I practically raised her, so she feels like she owes me, even though she's paid her debt by saving my life multiple times. She's not even human, so I don't know if she really counts as part of the population. She acts human... So maybe she does count. I sigh, then whistle for her. She flies in through a hole in the roof and lands on my shoulder.

Mel is my best friend. And a hawk. I found her hiding under a pile of lumber when she was still an eyas*. I snuck her back home where we originally kept her as a pet, but she became so much more. She was family. She warned us of the trouble that was coming, if we got hungry, she'd go hunting and bring back a mouse or small bird, she became one of us. If she were here during the fire, my family would still be alive. _But no, she was with you in the Capitol. Playing spy along your side._ I thought bitterly.

She nudged me with her beak. It was her way of saying don't worry, everything will be fine. I sighed, then motioned for her to get off of me. She flew to her perch on my desk and started cleaning herself. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a bird, to not have a care in the world, to be able to fly, to be free.

A disturbance snapped me out of my thoughts and daydreams. Outside of the Justice Building, I hear the vultures, the only birds to return, fly away. I push out my chair and cautiously approach the door. Even now, you can't be too alert. There are marauders out there, stealing from the burned down districts. A few have come here, but there is nothing left, so they leave.

I hear the whistling before I see him. I throw the door open and welcome in the messenger.

"Reese!" I cry. "It's so great to see you!"  
"I know, everybody loves me," he grinned. Reese and I are great friends. He was my messenger during the war. He sent all the information I collected back to the Rebels. Although he's a good fifteen years older than me, he still thinks of me as his sister.

He brushed a lock of his greying hair out of his eyes while handing me an envelope. "From the President."

I look at him. "You can tell her I'm almost done, I just need a few more days to think about it."

He chuckled. "Naw, she didn't say anything 'bout those documents. She's sent an order for you to go to the Capitol."

I look him in the eyes. "You know very well I can't leave. You know what they'll do if I go." Reese shifted nervously.

"Look, I know you're still mad about the bombing, but that wasn't the Rebels' fault. And, you're a national hero and a district leader, they're not going to do anything to this place without your consent."

I snorted, but I didn't say anything, and I took the envelope. I stared at it. It was a creamy white, not the sterile white that you see in hospitals, but a soft white with a tinge of beige mixed in. I stayed silent as I slowly tore it open. Inside was a train ticket to the Capitol.

"What about Mel."

Reese smiled. He knew what this meant. I was going.

"I'm sure no one will protest if you bring him onboard."

"Mel's a she, not a he."

"Whatever."he smirked. "Better grab your stuff, the train leaves in an hour."

I sighed and strolled back to my desk. I looked out the window one last time before taking the documents scattered around the table top, stacking them neatly, then locking them in the safe hidden under the floorboards.

"Okay. Let's go."

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***Eyas: baby hawk**

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**Soooooo, what cha think? Review please. :)**

**Thanks**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I actually got a review. I'm so happy! :) thank you, Alice Williams, for raising my self esteem. :)**

**And, sorry, sorry, sorry for not posting earlier.**

**So here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this, blah, blah, blah.**

Chapter Two

"They should be eating lunch right now, so we can make all the proper introductions." Reese said as he led me through the train.

"Who?"

"Oh, just some important people." He answered vaguely.

My stomach swirled nervously as he led me through the long hallway. My bag hung on my shoulders and Mel's talons were digging into my arm, almost drawing blood. All of this added to my unease.

Preoccupied with my thoughts, I didn't notice Reese stop and ran into his back.

"This is it!" He exclaimed excitedly as he swung open the dining car's doors.

Inside sat ten people, chattering amongst themselves. None of them seemed to notice us come in.

Reese cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to us, then whispered in my ear about having somewhere to go and disappeared behind the doors, leaving me all alone.

A tall, muscular man stood up and approached me. His hair was so light, it was almost white, and he had gorgeous emerald green eyes. Believe it or not, the combination of his hair, eyes, and body build made him seem quite handsome.

"Nice to meet you," He said, smirking, as if he read my thoughts earlier. "You must be from Seven, like Johanna."

My eyes widened as I searched the room, looking for the bearer of the name. And there she was, talking to another person at the table, paying no attention to the newcomer, that is, me.

I felt a scowl taking place on my lips, only to be interrupted from my thoughts by the man in front of me.

"My name is Rye, I'm the district leader for One." His hand stretched out, prompting me to shake it.

I blinked and took his hand. "You mean like the wheat?"

His laughter shook the cart, it was a loud joyful sound. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that. "Yes, like the wheat. Although I prefer to be compared to the whisky. Come on, I'll introduce you to the others."

He lead me to the table where everyone was grouped then thumped his fist on the table. "Everybody, meet.. um." He turned around to face me. "What's your name?"

"Lynnette Corl."

"Like the songbird?" A voice asked. I turned my head to face the speaker. "My name is Beetee. From three."

I nodded. "Yes. Like the songbird."

"Can you sing?" Another asked. I turned to face her. "Peony. District Four."

"No. But I can whistle."

Questions bombarded me about my name and a few about Mel.

"What about your family? Where are they right now?" A low voice asked from the end of the table. A hushed silence filled the room as I sucked in my cheeks. The speaker looked at me, his head slightly tilted to the side. I recognized him. Of course I did! You'd be stupid not to.

"They're dead. Died in a bombing."

Awkwardness laced the air as Gale Hawthorne opened his mouth to say something else, but Rye slapped a hand over his mouth.

"So, erm..." Rye said, trying to break the ice. "Why don't you join us? Grab something to eat?"

"I'll pass." I replied coldly then turned and walked out the dining car, back into the long hallway in search of my car.

When I finally found it, I ran in and slammed the door behind me. Then turned around to look at my car. A bed, a table, a closet, a television. Nothing much.

I set my stuff down and dug around in my bag for Mel's stand, which I placed on the table. She flew down from my shoulder, landing gracefully on in. Then, with nothing else to do, II plopped down on the bed and stared at the wall. It was blue, with a bit of green and purple mixed in. Just a little, not too much. It was what I imagined the ocean to look this ocean blue wall, there were small pictures hanging, a shot of the capitol, a map of Panem. Nothing much. The whole car smelled of lemon. My family had never been able to afford lemons, but once, Cinda, our neighbor, gave one to us, for Onya's birthday. It tasted sour, but mother squeezed out the juice and added a spoonful of sugar, which was six month's worth of wage, and poured us each a small glass. "Your grandmother once told me," she had said. "If life gives you lemons, turn it into lemonade."

Life had given me plenty of lemons. But alas, I had no way to turn it into lemonade, since I had no sugar to sweeten them.

Thoughts of lemons, sugar, and my family filled my thoughts as I slowly fell asleep. Small bits of happiness would follow in my dreams. I just knew it.

**What did you think? Again, I'm so sorry for the wait, but yeah... I think I write better if I have a long time to edit it. But maybe there'll be another chapter this week. Perhaps.**

**Review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiii :) I told you I would try to update again soon.**

**To answer your question Alice Williams, I'm not really sure yet about Lynnette and Johanna. I mean she obviously doesn't like Katniss, but I'm still deciding about Johanna. As you can probably tell, Lynnette basically distrusts everybody, except a few people, and holds a grudge against officials for the burning of her district. But, of course, I can't tell you more, because if I do, I might give out spoilers. ;) Just stay tuned.**

**Disclaimer: Of course, so I'm not sued, I shall not claim ownership to these magnificent characters that were NOT born from my imagination. :(**

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Chapter Three

When I woke up it was dark outside. Lights flashed quickly out the window, like fairy lights, leading me to my doom. A quick glance at the clock told me it was just after midnight.

My stomach rumbled. I have a vague memory of skipping lunch. And sleeping through dinner. I got up and decided whether or not I should go get food. No one else is up. It's midnight.

I grinned, realizing that I didn't have to have an awkward conversation with Beetee or Peony or anyone else who decided to stop me on the way to the Dining Car. I reached out to open the door when I remembered I was in my sleep clothes. I didn't remember changing.

I turned back to the closet but changed my mind when I remembered that no one else was up. But I would need socks. There were tile floors in the DIning Car. I returned to the closet and pulled out a pair of fuzzy socks. I rubbed them on my cheeks then slipped them on my feet. They were incredibly soft.

"I'll be right back Mel," I told the hawk. She gave a muffled sound and continued sleeping. I scoffed at her and left the car, entering the dark, empty hallway.

It was a thousand times creepier at night. A random creak would send me jumping. Years of being a spy gave me instincts like a cat. Which made small movements stand out and make me look twice at every shadow.

When I finally made it to the Dining Car, I was almost completely unwound. I pushed the doors aside and quickly walked in. There was a half asleep attendant leaning on the wall behind the counter. And on the counter...

Oh my goodness.

"You look like you've never seen so much food in your life," An amused voice said behind me. A startled shriek escaped my lips.

"Don't do that." I said as I grabbed a plate and started shoveling food on to it.

Rye chuckled as he joined me at the counter. "A bit late for dinner isn't it?"

"Shut up."

He just laughed more. "Join me?" He nodded toward the table, where a mess of documents was scattered around. It reminded me of my desk in Seven.

I obliged and sat down next to him in one of the cushioned chairs. "So what's all this?" I asked, indicating the papers.

"Homework." He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. "We're rebuilding the districts, and I've been given the task of mapping it all out. Of course it would be easier if some people would sign those documents." He glanced at me pointedly.

I scowled at him. It was rather hard with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Of course, this made him laugh. Did anything phase this guy?

He turned back to his papers. "Anyways, Paylor wants these blueprints by next month." He sneaked a glance at me, making sure I was listening.

I was shoving applesauce in my mouth.

His laughter boomed through the car and I could hear the echo in the hallway. It was also very contagious. I soon found myself laughing along.

"You sound like a bird when you laugh."

I grinned at him, then returned to my food. He chuckled then went back to his papers. It was very hard to dislike Rye. He was always happy and finds amusement in everything, like a little kid.

Our silence was interrupted by a girl barging in. Her hair was a wild mess that resembled a bird's nest. "Would you keep it down! Some of us are trying to sleep!" She had dark circles under her dark brown eyes, which were accompanied with her black hair.

"Calm down Sol," Rye muttered. "We were only laughing. You know? Something you do when you're happy?"

"Stuff it," She snarled, then turned and stomped out the doors.

"You know her?"

"Yeah." He replied, looking up from his blueprints. "You would know her, too, if you had hung around during lunch."

I smiled sheepishly at him while pushing my peas around my plate. He chuckled again and turned back to the papers.

"Why did you leave anyways?" He asked while flipping through his blueprints.

I shrugged. "I didn't want to talk about my family."

He looked at me. "Why not? Sure, it must hurt, but it was war, some people have to die."

My shield went back up. So that's who he was, just another Rebel who would sacrifice it all to win the war.

"Did I say something?" He must have noticed me stiffen up.

"I'm going back to bed." I said, my voice emotionless. "You probably should, too."

He gave me a questioning glance but didn't push it. I calmly walked out the Dining Car, but as soon as I was out of his vision I broke out in a sprint back to my car.

When I got back, I slammed the door behind me and slid down to the floor. I buried my head in my hands, trying to block the visions out, but it did no good. The faces of the Capitol children flooded my mind. Their screams as the bombs exploded seemed to fill the air. I struggled to get up. My family members and the deceased Rebels joined the burning children. They screamed for vengeance as the children screamed for mercy. The tears came up as I collapsed on the bed, the visions flooding around me. The darkness that came next was welcome.

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**This one might not be as good, but I was half asleep when writing the ending. But whatever. I think it's pretty good. Also, I didn't proof read it, so if you find some error, can you tell me. Thanks.**

**Maybe another chapter this week? I don't know. We'll see.**

**Au Revoir.**


	4. Chapter 4

** Oh my gosh. I am SOOOO sorry for not updating sooner. Soooooooo sorry. So anyways, you guys have waited long enough, presenting, the next chapter!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters, blah, blah, blah, etc.**

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When I woke up again it was daytime. Cheerful chatter and the sound of plates and cups banging around echoed through the hallway. I stumbled into the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

Blood-shot eyes looked back at me. My nose was red and my auburn hair had been turned into a bird's nest. I stared at the broken image in front of me. Did I really look like this?

I turned away from my reflection. I turned on the shower and stepped inside, stripping off my pajamas as I entered. The warm water hit my back, then the floor making a soft splash.

I didn't have such luxuries like showers back in Seven. Instead I used a rusted, metal tub in the back room of the crumbling Justice Building. The price of not giving up my district to the monsters who ran this community.

I bent down to examine the shampoos.

_Citrus. Pomegranate. Spring flowers. Oh._ I picked up one of the bottles. Written in moss green ink were the words _Summer Forest._

I uncapped the bottle and took a sniff. A leafy scent filled my nostrils. Tears pooled in my eyes as I was reminded again of what I had lost.

I poured a small amount in my palm then lathered into my hair, massaging my scalp and covering my head in light green foam.

After washing off the soap, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, then walked back to my sleeping area. My clothes from yesterday weren't dirty, so I out them back on.

"Wanna face the gauntlet with me, Mel?" I asked, turning to her. She gave a soft squawk before flying up and landing on my shoulder. "I know. I know. It's just breakfast."

I slowly exited my car and quietly shut the door behind me. I trudged to the dining car, hoping that nobody would notice my tears and then thinking how stupid that was because why else would I look like the living dead. Obviously I had been crying and anybody could see it in an instant, if they hadn't heard me sobbing last night.

I hesitated at the door, my hand hovering over the handle. But I didn't have to make the decision anyways.

The doors swung open as Katniss stormed, not even noticing me, with Peeta following her like a puppy. Everybody stared out the doors, their eyes following the duo, then landing on me. I stood there awkwardly staring back at them, not knowhat at to do. Fight or flight?

"Well come on in!" Rye called out to me. "We won't bite. Well, Sol might." He chuckled as she shot him a glare. I smiled weakly, not used to the attention, and crept into the car. Mel flew off my shoulder to snatch a piece of bacon off of somebody's plate.

Traitorous bird.

I slowly sank into the seat next to Rye and sat there quietly, playing with the edge of my shirt. Conversation sprung back up, filling in the silence. I was quickly forgotten.

"You okay?" Rye asked. Clearly, he had noticed that I'd been crying. I nodded, knowing that if I spoke, he would notice the lie in my voice.

"Obviously you noticed Girl on Fire storming out of here." A girl next to me said, grinning. She was trying to ease the tension.

"Yeah." I said going with it. "What's gotten up her knickers?"

Rye snorted. "She got in a fight with Gale, over there." He cocked his head in the direction of the soldier who was currently feeding my hawk of sausage. I glared at them, clenching my fists. My stupid, disloyal hawk.

He looked up to see me staring at him. A small smirk crawled up on his lips. I scowled and looked down. But not before noticing his black eye.

"Katniss gave him that?" I asked, amazed. Somebody was brave enough to hit a war hero. One that could easily tear me in half. The girl nodded.

"She also called him a no good carcass."

"What did he do to make her so angry?" I questioned.

Rye snorted again. "He didn't do anything really. The Star-Crossed lovers were talking about Prim and working on their memory book thing. I guess the mention of Prim ticked him off, with good reason, and he just blew up. Katniss still blames him for the bombing.

_With good reason._ I thought to myself. My stomach then rumbled. I'd forgotten to get food.

Get up and get stared at again, or starve. I considered the two options in my head. Rye smiled, obviously seeing my dilemma and pushed his plate towards me. His unfinished bacon and eggs stared up tauntingly at me and a piece of toast seemed to wink at me.

_You know that you want us._ They seemed to say.

Great. Talking food. I was going crazy.

I opened my mouth to decline, but thought better of it and closed my mouth. I grabbed Rye's fork as he smiled at me and shoveled in.

Today might not be so bad after all.

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**Sorry, again, for the long wait. I promise you that the next chapter will be up by June. I promise.**

**=0.0= kitty says bye bye.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. It's me again. And guess what!? I'm in North Carolina. I've got Summer Camp. **

**I'm so lonely guys.**

**:(**

**So anyways, here's the next chapter. As promised.**

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games characters as much as I wish I did. Maybe someday I can buy it, but that day is not today._

_Chapter Five_

"So we should be arriving in the Capitol today," Rye told me as we walked down the hall. "We've got a huge task ahead of us."

I blinked. "What exactly is that _huge task_?"

He stared at me. "You don't know what it is?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Nobody bothered to tell me. Is it like some big secret or something?"

Rye just shook he head and laughed. "You'll find out soon enough," He said between chuckles.

I sighed. Nobody would tell me anything. I was _dying_ to find out. I had jumped on this stupid train to go complete this mysterious task hadn't I? Didn't I deserve to know?

"Don't sweat it," Rye said, still laughing. "It's not that important."

I nodded.

"Come on. Let's go bother Sol!" He cheered, dragging me along.

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_The Capitol_

The train slowly pulled to a stop. The Capitol citizens barely gave us a glance, except for a few, who stared at us warily. I nudged Rye and pointed in their direction with a questioning look. He shrugged indifferently. I stared back at them for a minute, then shrugged my shoulders as well and walked to get my bags.

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The train station was packed. People were shoving anybody and everybody who was in their way. So many elbows had jammed in my ribs that I didn't even notice anymore.

While I was still polite, muttering excuse me's and sorry's, I noticed Johanna pushing people out of her way, shoving them to the ground. I grimaced. I hope I didn't have to talk to her. There was a LOT of stale history between us. Actually, that's an understatement. She hated me, and I couldn't find it in me to forgive her for what _she_ did.

Mel screeched from my shoulder. A small boy had tried to smooth out her feathers. His face turned pink as I stared him down. His silver bird tattoo on his right cheek gave him away. He was a Capitol citizen. From before the war.

He tried to back away from me, fear in his eyes, but he bumped into another stranger who shoved him to the ground. His face became redder, it was almost purple. He tried scrambling back to his feet, only to be pushed down again by the passing people. I could see the tears pooling in his eyes. He must be so embarrassed.

I continued to stare at him, sympathy welling up inside of me. The people around me grumbled as they shoved by me, but I didn't notice. Nothing in this place existed but me and this boy. I walked toward him, and I could see one tiny tear slip out of his eye. He sniffed angrily and whipped it away quickly, and then he braced himself, as if he thought I was going to hit him.

Instead, I offered my hand.

He gave me a surprised look and hesitated. "Come on, child!" I said. "I'm not going to drop you back onto the floor."

He hesitated again, then reached out and grabbed my hand. He mumbled a soft "thank you" and disappeared back into the crowd. Mel gave a satisfied squawk as I turned to follow my group outside the train station.

"You shouldn't have helped him," Gale Hawthorne's voice whispered in my ear. I turned around to look at him.

"And why not?" I questioned, my hands on my hips. I could tell where this was going.

He pointed his head in the direction where the boy had went. "That boy was Capitol breed. Like before the war Capitol breed."

I turned back around and started to walk away. Even though I knew what he would say, it didn't make the disappointment any easier. His hand grabbed my arm. I tried to shake him off, but his grip was tight.

"Come on," Hawthorne protested. "You're not actually defending the kid are you? He destroyed your home and killed your family."

"No," My voice barely audible over the loud rumble of footsteps and trains. "He was a child who was lucky to survive. He was a mere bystander, at worst, he was a puppet unable to control his strings. He was a servant blamed for his master's doings." My voice rose with every word until I was yelling. Strangers actually stopped to listen.

"You have no right to tell me to do anything Hawthorne, especially if you're asking me to accuse a little boy of being a monster."

"He is a monster!" Hawthorne roared. His voice was a thousand times louder than mine. "He supported the Games. He didn't try to stop them. How many people died, because somebody, somebody who could have been him, didn't speak up?"

My voice went back down to a whisper so that only he and I could hear my next words. "And how many people have we killed, Hawthorne?" He opened his mouth to argue, but I held up my hand to finish speaking."How many people died because of that bomb, Gale?"

His eyes grew wide and he tried to speak, but his voice failed him. Fury and sorrow was written all over his face. I spun back around and stomped outside, leaving him behind. Mel gave a small squeak from my shoulder.

"Shut up," I muttered. "This is all your fault anyways."

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**So how was it?**

**If there are any grammar mistakes, please tell me and I will do my best to fix them.**

**Thank you to those beautiful people who followed my story. I absolutely adore you. I'll see if I can get another chapter up next week.**

**How does that sound? **

**:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh my gosh guys! I love you SO much! I feel so appreciated. :)**

**Thank you Buncaflores for the review. I feel so HAPPPPPPPYYYYYYY.**

**Okay next chapter. :)**

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_I don't own the Hunger Games. So don't sue me. :(_

_Chapter Six_

"So are you going to tell me why we're here now?" I continued to pester Rye, hoping he would give in soon. This man had an iron will.

Rye shook his head and chuckled, his head still buried deep in his blueprints. The car we were on shook and bumped every few seconds, but Rye's pencil lines were smooth and even. So I shoved him while he was in the middle of a sketch. His line went from straight to slanted and crooked and pointed in the wrong direction. He looked up at me, visibly upset. I almost felt bad. Almost.

"Tell me," I repeated. "Or I'll keep messing you up until I find out."

He smiled as he erased the stray line. "You fight dirty."

I stared down at him, not letting his words affect me. "Tell me."

He sighed and looked up from his paper. He set down his pencil and shoved his papers into his bag.

"Do you remember when Coin convinced the Victors to agree to the new Games?" He started.

"Vaguely."

"Well, Paylor wasn't sure if that had been turned into a law or not, so she decided to play it safe. She called back all the Victors and us, the District Leaders, to make the final decision."

I stared at him. "Why does she need us? Why not just call back the Victors?"

"Their biased. They had to kill, they're upset about it. They can't make a straight decision. We can."

I shook my head and whispered: "What makes you think I haven't killed?"

"What?" Rye said. "I didn't hear that."

"It's nothing", I said. "Just forget it."

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My new room was yellow. Bright, bright yellow. It was like somebody had sucked out all the color from a sunflower and transferred it into this wall. The wall seemed like it _glowed_.

We were staying in the Training Center. I wondered how many bad memories it brought the Victors. My hand traced the walls. I could imagine the tributes from District Seven throwing themselves against the walls, trying to escape the Games. Did Avan stay here? Or did he stay in another room, waiting for his death? I circled around the room. A table sat in the center and a television covered one entire wall. The bed was in the corner, resting next to a door that led to the bathroom. A soft, velvet couch sat in front of the wall across from the Television. A china vase sat on the table. Delicate flowers were painted on it in light blues and pinks. A window gave a view of the Capitol. I heard it was beautiful once, but like my Forest, it had been tarnished by the war and laid in ruins now. A few buildings stood, giving of glows of light and comfort. Who looked out this window before me?

I brushed my hand through my hair and sighed. The comfort life. So this is what it was like. The button to call for food had been removed. I guess the new leaders didn't care for servants. Or did they? Were they gathering a group of Avoxes right now?

I shook my head. It did me no good to question my superiors now. I needed to forget and forgive, just like the rest of the fighters.

So why couldn't I?

I wandered around the room, feeling out of place here. I settled on top of the bed and rubbed my fingers on the sheets. Silk. Real silk. The mattress was like a cloud. I rested my head on the pillow. It was like a patch of wild flowers. I snuggled up and pulled the blankets around me. Sleep evaded me though. I was warm and comfortable, but still, I didn't feel safe. I crawled out of the bed and landed on the carpet. I crept out of the room and into the corridor. The doors were all identical, except for the golden numbers engraved in the wood. I exited through the dining room.

My feet made soft pattering sounds as I climbed the stairs. I opened the door hat I knew would open to the roof.

The fresh air rushed at me as I walked outside. My bare feet felt soft compared to the rough concrete. The soft tinkling of wind chimes filled the air. I sniffed the air. Lilies, daffodils, carnations and orchids attacked my nose. I walked towards the smell. The flowers brought back memories that I tried to shove down. No use ruining the beautiful with the ugly.

Small fringe trees grew from ceramic pots and the chimes had been strung around the branches. Flowers grew everywhere in tiny glass flower pots with painted birds to make up for the lack of real ones. Soft petals crunched under my feet as I tip-toed around the garden. I spied a small silverbell growing in the corner of the roof. A single chime had been hung on it. It gleamed in the moonlight, the silver glinting. Miniature songbirds had been molded and hung. They were painted reds, and yellows, and browns. Autumn colors. I reached over to grab a small gray bird. Its colors clashed with the warmth of the other birds. Whites and blacks sprinkled its wings. I dropped it when I realized what it was. A mockingjay.

A new round of tinkling erupted.

"Careful. You might wake the others."

I sighed as I turned around. I hadn't heard him. Unlike me, he hadn't make a sound while walking around. I put my hands on my hips and looked up at him. He was at least three inches taller than me.

"What do you want, Hawthorne?" My voice was icy. My obvious dislike dripped from my words.

He shifted on his feet, his hands were shoved in his pockets. "To apologize."

I raised my eyebrows, questioning him. Gale Hawthorne didn't apologize. He was merciless, we all knew that.

"Okay, maybe not," He muttered. "I was curious."

"About what?" I asked as I turned my back to him. The silverbell was quite beautiful.

"Would you stop turning around and face me!" Annoyance tinted his voice.

I turned my head. "One question, then leave."

He glared at me, anger in his eyes. He took a couple of breaths, trying to calm himself. His fists were clenches and I could sense that it took a lot to keep them away from my face.

"Why are you so protective of the Capitol citizens? What have they ever done for you?" His voice was slightly strangled. He was trying to keep the anger from his voice. Not that it worked. I could hear it leaking out.

"It's not what they've done for me." I said softly. I pulled at my auburn hair. "It's more of what I've done to them."

Hawthorne snorted. "What did you do to them that was so much worse than what they did to us?"

"One question," I repeated, signalling him to get away from me. He growled, and I pointed at the door that lead back inside. "Leave."

He nodded curtly, then stalked back inside.

Once he'd left, I sighed, burying my face into my palms. What had I done? I had done something unforgivable.

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**Yay! New chapter. Okay bye. :)**

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